The mobile telephone is one of the most popular forms of mobile radio communication devices. A mobile telephone typically comprises a handset including a speaker, a microphone, a keypad, and a display. A printed circuit board is contained within the handset which includes the transmit and receive circuits necessary for radio communication and audio processing circuits for coding and decoding voice communications. A control circuit including a programmable controller controls the operation of the mobile telephone according to a control program stored in memory.
Most mobile telephone manufacturers offer a variety of models with each model possessing different features and functions. For example, different model telephones may include different keypads and/or different displays. The differences between models are not necessarily limited to differences in the hardware configuration of the mobile telephone. A variety of software options are typically available for any given model telephone. Examples of typical software options include, without limitation, memory storage, speed dialing, automatic redialing, memory scrolling, call timing, etc.
The variety of hardware and software options available in different models complicates the manufacture of mobile telephones. Differences in hardware may require differences in the printed circuit board architecture as well as different programming to control their operation. Even if a common circuit board architecture can be used for all available models, each model still requires different programming. Changes in consumer demands sometimes necessitates reprogramming phones already in stock. Once a particular unit has been programmed, it is both time consuming and expensive to change the programming.
Accordingly, there is a need for a mobile telephone which shares a common circuit board architecture and which provides greater latitude in meeting consumer demands without the necessity of reprogramming phones.